No winds of change likely in Vadodara

VADODARA: The cultural capital of Gujarat —Vadodara —-is not likely to vote for change as state goes for the second phase of polling on Thursday.

Vadodara district, which has 10 Assembly segments, has been a BJP bastion for decades and looks set to vote for the saffron party once again this time. It has been a VIP constituency of sorts since the time the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi decided to contest the 2014 parliamentary elections from Vadodara.

Congress has not been able to build its party base in the district. In 2012, of the 10 Assembly segments, BJP cornered nine seats and one (Savli assembly segment) was won by an independent, Ketanbhai Mahendrabhai Inamdar. Congress is facing a tough fight in all seats this time. The party is banking on its booth-level workers to mobilise voters, but it does not have much of a presence here.

Five of the 10 seats –– Vadoadara City, Sayajigunj, Akota, Raopura and Manjalpur –– are urban seats where the party has always been weak. In Sayajigunj seat, an independent, Rajesh Ahire, has queered the pitch for Congress’ Narendra Rawat, who wasn’t the party’s first choice of candidate.

The urban constituencies have been uneasy with the introduction of Goods and Services Tax but with the recent lowering of rates, the grievances have been largely addressed.

The only Assembly segment Congress has an edge is Dabhoi, a seat which has never repeated an MLA or a party. Congress’ former state unit chief Sidharthbhai C Patel, son of ex-CM Chimanbhai Patel, is taking on BJP’s Shailesh Mehta.